


A Song for Persephone

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Orpheus and Eurydice Myth, Temporary Character Death, Weddings, canon typical death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13852869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: Orpheus and Eurydice get married, but later that night, Eurydice is killed. Overcome with grief, Orpheus travels to the Underworld to bring her back to life. He convinces Hades and Persephone to let Eurydice go, but her release comes with a catch: Eurydice must walk behind him as they ascend to the upper world, and Orpheus is forbidden from looking at her. Seems easy enough, right?





	1. Out of the Darkness

Barry Bluejeans couldn't believe today was really happening. Part of him was convinced that any minute he was going to wake up, probably back on their homeworld with someone yelling at him that he was going to be late for the launch of the Starblaster if he was perfectly honest. He kept fidgeting with his tie as he waited. Finally, Taako leaned over and swatted his hands away.  
  
"Stop that, Barold. Honestly, you're hopeless.  Hold still for three seconds and let me fix that so you look respectable." Taako grabbed the tie, fixing it with the ease of someone with a lot of practice at tying ties on other people. "Seriously, my dude. Chill. Like I get that you're the human embodiment of generalized anxiety, but this is like the one thing you've got on fucking lockdown. So calm down, stop pacing, and focus on the fact that you're marrying my sister."

Barry looked down, a blush mantling his cheeks as he smiled nervously.  
  
"Yeah, that's why I'm nervous."  
  
Taako stared at Barry for a long moment and then grabbed him by the shoulders, giving him a little shake.  
  
"You've literally been dating for like...60 years, Barold. You fucking became liches together. You are literally in a fucking vague-ass prophecy as The Lover. Like, that's what the universe knows you as." Taako threw his hands in the air. "You two are fucking perfect for each other. Relax and goddamn enjoy it."

Barry actually laughed at that and hugged Taako tightly.  
  
"Thanks, Taako." He paused for just a moment. "See, this is why I asked you to be my best man."  
  
"I mean, that and the fact that your other choices are all fucking disasters."

Taako looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching and grinned. Merle was finally here. Time to get this show on the road.

* * *

Lup spun around once, watching the skirt of her gown twirl around her. Then she grinned up at Magnus. He was smiling back at her, looking like an absolute idiot.

"Well?"  
  
His smile dropped and he was all serious now, walking around her like a General inspecting his troops before a battle. Then the cheerful grin returned.  
  
"Perfect."  
  
Lup reached for the bouquet of flowers sitting on the table.  
  
"Damn right I am."

They heard a familiar voice, someone clearing their throat by the door. Lup and Magnus both turned to find Davenport standing there, their former captain dressed in his finest suit. He had a smile on his face as he looked up at them.

“Ready, Lup?”

She licked her lips, realizing her throat was suddenly dry.

“Hell yeah, Cap’nport. How’s Barry holding up?”

Davenport led her out towards the field they’d picked. Neither of the liches were entirely comfortable with the idea of marrying in a temple. Having a cleric handle the ceremony was already enough of a potential problem.

“Last I saw him, Taako was working on getting him to calm down.”

Lup smiled, shaking her head a little. That sounded just like her Bear. As they approached the tent that had been set up, she looked at her captain.

“Hey, Dav? Thanks. For this, I mean.”

He returned the smile, taking a moment to straighten his bow tie.  
  
“Lup, I told you when you asked me. This is an honor.”

She looked up as the music started.

“Still. Thanks, Dad’enport.”

* * *

Barry looked up as the music started and watched Lup walk in with Davenport by her side. _Fuck_ . He’d always known she was beautiful, resplendent, amazing. Today? Today, she was transcendent. Their eyes met and he knew he was grinning like an absolute idiot. Heck, he was probably crying right now. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Taako smiling at him. This was really happening. _This was really happening._ Taako leaned in a little.

“Hold it together, my dude. You got this.”

Time alternately crawled and raced, and Barry was conscious only of Lup. Of her hands in his, of the smile on her face, of the way she was looking at him. Merle was talking. It wasn’t until Barry heard his own name that he remembered to breathe.

“Do you, Barry Bluejeans, take Lup to be your wife, to hold and cherish for all your days?”

“ _I do.”_

The words fell out of him in a rush, his voice choked and almost raw with the sheer weight of the emotions behind it.

“And do you, Lup, take Barry to be your husband, to have and to hold in the good times and in the bad?”

Lup met Barry’s eyes, squeezing his hands gently.

“I do.”

Merle gave them a huge smile and raised his hands to the sky.

“Then by the power vested in me by Pan, I declare you husband and wife. Next get on with kissing. We all know you two want to.”

Before Barry could move, Lup had her arms around him and their lips met. His hands settled on her hips, right where they belonged. The crowd was cheering when he pulled back slightly, needing to look at her, to see her in that moment. Then they kissed again and he pulled her closer.

* * *

Lup leaned against Barry, a contented smile on her face.

“Hey Bear, I don’t suppose I could convince you to go grab another bottle of wine and refill these?”

He chuckled quietly and kissed her cheek.

“Anything you want, Mrs. Bluejeans.”

She shoved him lightly as he stood.

“Dork.”

As he walked away, he blew her a kiss.

“Your dork, Lup.”

Somewhere across the room, Lup heard Taako laughing and she looked over to see what her brother had found so amusing. That was when it happened. The one moment she didn’t have her eyes on Barry.


	2. Into the Light

Lup had only asked one question before she had set off into the planes: what would appease Death? Taako, looking into his sister’s eyes and seeing pain and determination, had given her all the answers he had. Which was how she came to be standing outside of an immense black fortress with a violin in her hands, tears on her cheeks, and iron in her spine. She raised her hand to knock and the door opened. A handsome man stood there, his red eyes seeming to gaze into her soul. She met his eyes steadily.

“I’m here to speak to the Raven Queen, Kravitz.”

The Reaper watched her for a moment, expression flickering between various emotions. He settled on worry as he nodded.

“You know she won’t-”

“Don’t fucking even.”

She cut him off, her voice a low growl in her throat. Then she pushed into the fortress past him. 

* * *

The Raven Queen sat on an ebon throne. She dominated the hall without trying, glory wreathed around her like shadows. She leaned forward just slightly as Lup entered, her eyes knowing too much of the grief that spiraled through the elf with dark abandon. Kneeling on the cold stones of the hall, Lup took a breath. The air here was freezing. It was a dagger of ice that threatened to carve its way through her. It was the cold of the grave, the cold of grief and an emptiness where half of your heart should be. When she spoke, her voice was even, steady. Lup knew she had to hold herself together through this. She had to make her plea and then see what came of it. If she failed... Well, she could burn that bridge when she came to it.

“Lady Death, I know... I know this isn’t something you do. I get that. The natural end of life and all that. But this... I won’t say it’s not fair. I know that. Death isn’t any more fair than life is. But my husband entered your domain today, at our fucking wedding, and I’m not prepared to give him up without a fight. Not after everything we’ve already been through together.”

Lup glanced away from the piercing gaze of the Raven Queen and looked at the Reaper standing beside the throne. Was it just her or did Kravitz nod subtly? Lup raised her violin, resting it lightly on her shoulder and making sure it was just right before she set her bow to the strings. When she played, the song was incomplete, was fractured. It was a duet without its other half, the notes rising and falling around a piano line that was missing. If she closed her eyes, she could almost go back there, back then. Back to the Legato Conservatory and the long days and nights of practicing just these same notes side by side. She had put her emotions into the performance that day, but it was nothing compared to  _ this. _ To the swell of the held notes that extended out over gaps where he should have been carrying the melody, the places where they traded places in the dynamics of the piece and in their relationship. Into those places, she gave them the grief and the fury. She gave them what she had seen, what she had done. And, though Lup didn’t notice yet, the Reaper wept.

* * *

“Barry Bluejeans.”

Barry stopped, his hand closing around the neck of the wine bottle as he turned towards the voice. A human stood there, a man he didn’t know in plate armor with a sword in his hand.

“Uh...yeah, that’s me. Can I help y-?”

Barry didn’t get the rest of the word out before the blade began to glow with divine energy and sunk into his chest.

“You can die, lich.”

Lup was already on her feet, her hands wreathed in flames. People were running, yelling. Wands were out all throughout the assembly and spells flew through the air, but Lup focused with deadly determination on the paladin until there was nothing left but a smear of ash on the ground. Then she ran to Barry. He lay still in the grass. He wasn’t breathing. Why wasn’t he breathing? He couldn’t be dead, or he would have just risen out of his body. That’s how it worked. So he had to be alive. She didn’t hear her own voice, hoarse and ragged as she yelled for Merle. He just needed a healer. That was all. Otherwise, he would be giving her that awkward lich-smile and be laughing about the fact that he managed to get himself killed at their own wedding. But he wasn’t breathing. Why the hell wasn’t he breathing?

* * *

Lup lowered the bow, her arms shaking. When she looked up again, the Raven Queen was watching her curiously with those impassive eyes. Then the goddess turned her gaze on the Reaper standing at her right hand.

“Well, my son, what would you have me do?”

Kravitz met Lup’s eyes and then turned to bow to his queen.

“I know it defies our laws, my queen, but I would grant the request if I had the power to do so.”

The goddess nodded as though she had expected the answer.

“Then I will grant it for you.” She paused for just a moment, the silence hanging in the still hall. “But, with a caveat. You will lead him from my domain and back to the world of the living. He will be behind you at every step, but should you look back, he will be forfeit unto me. Do you agree to these terms, Lup Bluejeans?”

The words stumbled out of her mouth, tripping over themselves in a rush.

_ “I do.” _

The Raven Queen nodded and raised one hand.

“Then go, and my Reaper will guide you. But you are not to interfere, Kravitz.”

His gaze fell to the floor and he bowed once more.

“Of course, my queen.”

* * *

Lup could see the light ahead, the gateway to the prime material plane was open to them as Kravitz had said it would be.

“Almost there...”

She murmured it, half for herself and half for Barry. Soon. Soon, everything would be right again. Her feet crossed into the light and she heard the soft song of birds in the trees, felt the cool breeze on her face. Her steps started to slow and she nearly turned, her body beginning to pivot to fulfill the wishes of her heart. But then she felt a dull weight in her chest, a weight that gripped her heart and she nearly forgot to breathe. Lup squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the words of the Raven Queen.  _ But should you look back, he will be forfeit unto me. _

“Uh...yeah, fuck that.”

Her pace picked up once more, her eyes tight shut. And she didn’t stop until she felt a gentle hand on her arm and heard his voice saying her name. Then.  _ Then _ , Lup turned and grabbed Barry by the collar of his shirt, glaring up at him for just an instant before she broke and kissed him hard.

“Don’t you ever do that again, babe.”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest and through her body.

“Yeah, I’ll try not to get killed on our wedding day again.”


End file.
